My "almost" robbed experience

[jackal556]

After reading some of the posts in this forum, I decided to add my own (mods please merge if needed).

My wife and I were grocery shopping one Saturday afternoon and finally made our way to the dairy isle in the very back of the store. We wound up discussing organic Greek yogurt. My stance is usually I don't care. Whilst rolling my eyes, I notice a dude looking at me and my wife. Now, we are both attractive peoples, but a little too short to be professional models. But this guy has nothing in his cart, he's texting on his phone, and staring at me.

Alarm bells start going off. Pre-operational surveillance. The brain is fully engaged. My years of anti-terrorism training now in use.

Then she forgets she needed something in the produce section in the front of the store. While she goes to frozen foods, I'll back track all the way back to the front of the store and pick up a lemon or something.

As I make my trip back, I see the second dude headed toward me. He is headed directly toward me. And from the way he is walking, he is carrying a pistol on his right side at his waist band. Now, I switch from anti-terrorism to MCMAP/ krav maga mode. I am formulating various plans to react to him drawing that gun; stopping his arm at his waist and taking him down; after he draws it, do the appropriate unarmed pistol disarm (not the #1 option in a crowded grocery store), or run down a side isle. Having formulated those plans, I still had another option of starting off with some verbal judo.

When I finally reached engagement range, I stared him down and moved to his "dead" (right hand) side. He said something like "Hey man, can I borrow some money". I replied something like "Not right now" or something not witty and kept on walking. I pick up the lemon or whatever and meet my wife back in the frozen foods. The other guy with the empty cart is still tailing her. I stare him down as well.

Later that night, the news reported that an individual was shot by his own gun after he attempted to rob someone. About a couple months later, there were two shootings in the parking lot of said grocery store. This is all in SPD's jurisdiction, so a little snapshot of his day there.

And that is why I CCW while picking out a ripe melon.

[Grey Mann]

Well...good on you for avoiding a fight.

Sorry, but this reads a little bit like a Hollywood movie scene. Gecko45, you there?

[jamoni]

I really only pulled two objective facts out of this:
1. Some guy looked at you.
2. Some other guy said "something" to you.

....

[Gyrfalcon]

I really only pulled two objective facts out of this:
1. Some guy looked at you.
2. Some other guy said "something" to you.

....

Should he have ignored his gut feeling?

[TDW586]

I really only pulled two objective facts out of this:
1. Some guy looked at you.
2. Some other guy said "something" to you.

....

Should he have ignored his gut feeling?

No one said that. The story just doesn't really go anywhere, and he did nothing except say "not really". I'm a bit confused by this post as well.

[Velociryan]

What did the rest of your co-workers think of your little story when you told them in the mall security office?
Sorry!!! Don't go all krav maga on me!

[Czechnology]

:lol: What did the rest of your co-workers think of your little story when you told them in the mall security office?
Sorry!!! Don't go all krav maga on me!

Don't be a dick.

[Gambino]

.

[Velociryan]

:lol: What did the rest of your co-workers think of your little story when you told them in the mall security office?
Sorry!!! Don't go all krav maga on me!

Don't be a dick.

Just calling a mall ninja a mall ninja.

[Ricerageous]

Just calling a mall ninja a mall ninja.

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure someone else was just calling a dick a dick. Just because the OP's story didn't end in a gunfight/arrest/sensational outcome, there isn't any reason to drop a deuce on him. I didn't see any mention of him charging the other guy with the cart while his wife pulls out her suppressed MP5, so how about we all just chill out? Even if you disagree with this guy and dislike his point of view, this post (at the very least) shows the importance of situational awareness, even during mundane tasks like grocery shopping.

[jackal556]

Gee... If you want better stories, I got better stories. After 6.5 years in the Marine Corps, 4 years in Homeland Security, I got a few. How 'bout my first SWAT callout, where I had rounds snapping over my head, and the actor ending the day in a body bad. I have plenty tales from the G-20 Summit. There was the time I drew my CCW on Thanksgiving. Or maybe "what I did when three coworkers were killed in the line of duty".

My intent with the post was to build off of other posts in the forum and relate how keeping your cool and applying some "verbal judo", or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, my response to the armed actor probably wasn't the best, and turning my back to him was a real roll of the dice, especially with an amateur like that.

[TDW586]

It sounds to me more like a case of simple awareness preventing you from being targeted, which is of course a good thing. Maybe it was just the way it was written or how I read it, I didn't quite get what point you were going for. Glad you made it through an encounter with a couple of armed creeps safely.

[Gyrfalcon]

I really only pulled two objective facts out of this:
1. Some guy looked at you.
2. Some other guy said "something" to you.

....

Should he have ignored his gut feeling?

No one said that. The story just doesn't really go anywhere, and he did nothing except say "not really". I'm a bit confused by this post as well.

Wasn't the biggest fan of it myself. But it was pertinent to keeping an awareness, described the scenario he perceived as alarming, described his reaction to it, and recounted what could have been an incident related to the men in question. The more exposure that people have to various scenarios, the better prepared the rest of us might be. It is good to learn from the experiences of others. You might not have taken anything of value away from the post.

[jackal556]

It sounds to me more like a case of simple awareness preventing you from being targeted, which is of course a good thing. Maybe it was just the way it was written or how I read it, I didn't quite get what point you were going for. Glad you made it through an encounter with a couple of armed creeps safely.

TDW- Awesome point. Situation awareness was key and should have been the focus of the story.

All- I'll work on my narrative a little more. I'll go back to English Writing 0010.

[razi]

I wizard once said, "To secure peace, we must prepare for war." Could have been Metallica, come to think of it.

It's a Simpson's quote.

[tshw1973]

The moral of the story is situational awareness.
Im not military trained but was robbed at knifepoint when I was a student in the UK. I learnt from the experience and could tell when it was going to happen again.
This avoided me being robbed on at least 3 occasions after. Similar situations as OP, I could tell the others were going to rob me and avoided the conflict. Instinct kicks in when you are aware of the signs.